Should I use this pine to build plantation shutters?

[Michael Weber]

It’s SYP but nice stuff I bought at an auction a couple of years back. It’s clear, S4S, and a full 1 inch thick. I culled the best of it (most vertical grain/straightest) to build storm windows but have lots left. It’s not old growth and what remains is flat sawn with pronounced surface grain pattern. I believe it to be kiln dried with the sap set. I have two worries. First, it’s machinability to a finished surface won’t be as good as Basswood or Poplar and be harder on the tooling. I’m talking hundreds and hundreds of louvers and don’t want to spend lots of time (any) repairing tear out and sanding. Second is finishing. Will the prominent grain pattern require more sanding/coats of paint to get a good finish compared to one of the other hardwood choices? Actually a third worry is stability over time. Is it more likely to warp than the other choices? Longest louver would be about 18 inches but most in the 12 inch range. Stiles will be around 40 inches long.
Basically would like to use it unless it will turn into a pain anywhere down the build process. It’s on hand and I have no other use for it and hate to see it just sit there taking up room. Can anyone advise if my worries are valid and I should just buy a more proper hardwood? I notice all commercial paint grade shutters are made from Basswood but would Poplar be as good? It's a little cheaper and available locally. Thanks for any advise. Mike

[jack forsberg]

if these are exterior stutters than basswood or popular are very poor choices for wood IMO. I have use white pine but i am up north. i have no idea how your pine hold ups so i can't help there.

jack
English machines

[Harry Niemann]

I've made them of western red cedar.(bot 5/4 cedar decking) and they have worked out well. You have to cut around knots, but it is easy to work with.

[Edmund Burke]

The louvered shutters on our house are Doug Fir. They are over 100 years old. There is some rot where moisture has gotten trapped, but given their age, they are in pretty good shape. Clear Cedar would probably be better than Fir. For the record, our shutters were assembled with wooden pegs rather than nails. Nails would have rusted out long ago. I have painted or stained a lot of SYP beadboard/flooring. I am not crazy about how it takes or holds a finish, esp. paint.

[Michael Weber]

sorry, should have specified these are interior shutters. I will want to set the process up to cut all parts at once and don't want to cut all the slats to rough dimension then have to redo after problems arise with machining/finishing. Edward, that's the kind of info I'm looking for about not taking finish well. Can you elaborate about that a bit? paint just fail to hide the grain?

[BOB OLINGER]

Mike,

I've made quite a few plantation shutters but all from red oak (stain and varnish) and from poplar (painted). If you're cutting your own slats, you should try a few from your SYP to see if they mill clean without tear outs. When considering a white wood and even though Norm made his from basswood, the basswood available to me had the fuzzy feel, not as clean as poplar. I wish I could comment more on the SYP but can't; maybe others can. But, if you have other questions along the way, let us know. Plantation shutters are a bit of challenge; exactness counts; but a real feeling of accomplishment when done - and they look great.

[Joe Scharle]

I built some from soft maple just so I wouldn't have a lot of hand sanding. See attached.
And my experience with SYP is in housebuilding, and what I saw in my very few attempts at using it in woodworking is disappointment. I find it hard if not impossible to level and staining is an effort too far.

These are just 1 coat of amber shellac for color and 2 coats of clear for depth. I finished prior to assembly. Taped over my glue positions. Also, I used integral tenons on one end of the rails, to help in positioning and floating tenons on the other ends for the same reason. You really have to hurry!

267216

[Edmund Burke]

Mike, I'm not a wood expert, but I have built and/or re-built several porches with the T&G 5/8" SYP sold by HD and I've used the same stock for interior wainscot and panelling and it seems like the pitch content of the wood makes it hard for the surface to absorb paint evenly and absorption varies depending on the grain. It took the best ($$) alkyd primer I could find to get a grip on the wood that would, in turn, take a smooth (non-streaky) coat of interior paint. I used grey stain on another SYP interior job and that worked better. The stain leaves the grain and texture visible if you want that. Do some test pieces with various coatings and I think you'll quickly figure out what works for your needs.

[Denton Edwards]

Mike,

I've made quite a few plantation shutters but all from red oak (stain and varnish) and from poplar (painted). If you're cutting your own slats, you should try a few from your SYP to see if they mill clean without tear outs. When considering a white wood and even though Norm made his from basswood, the basswood available to me had the fuzzy feel, not as clean as poplar. I wish I could comment more on the SYP but can't; maybe others can. But, if you have other questions along the way, let us know. Plantation shutters are a bit of challenge; exactness counts; but a real feeling of accomplishment when done - and they look great.



Bob, I saw in another thread where you mentioned a company in Kansas City that would make slats on a custom basis. I am new to this forum and this is the newest thread I can find on plantation shutters, and I am trying to find a company that will mill slats out of red oak for me. Can you give me the name of that company in KC? Your mention is the only lead I have found so far.
Denton Edwards

[BOB OLINGER]

Denton,

Fortunately, I saw your post. Yes, Liberty Hardwoods. Google indicates their phone no. is 816-231-0852. I deal with their branch in Ankeny, IA. I discussed with them making slats for me; they gave me a quote. However, I decided to buy a molding machine and made my own. Wish you the best. Let me know if anymore questions. Plantation shutters are a challenge, but a great feeling when done.

[Phil Thien]

Mike, I'm not a wood expert, but I have built and/or re-built several porches with the T&G 5/8" SYP sold by HD and I've used the same stock for interior wainscot and panelling and it seems like the pitch content of the wood makes it hard for the surface to absorb paint evenly and absorption varies depending on the grain. It took the best ($$) alkyd primer I could find to get a grip on the wood that would, in turn, take a smooth (non-streaky) coat of interior paint. I used grey stain on another SYP interior job and that worked better. The stain leaves the grain and texture visible if you want that. Do some test pieces with various coatings and I think you'll quickly figure out what works for your needs.

Between movement and pitch, painting SYP can be an ordeal.

For interior I guess wood movement would really amount to a non-issue. But I've painted some SYP that was quite pitchy in areas and was later able to simply scrape the primer+paint right off the wood with my thumbnail.

I suppose it depends a lot on the properties of your load of SYP.

[Denton Edwards]

You're the man, thanks a bunch. I tried to send you a private message but your inbox is full. I am lucky you spotted me so quickly. Again thanks a lot for the tip.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I would not use SYP for this application - even if all was beautiful VG. Stability, difficulty to get a nice, smooth finish, difficulty in machining. All for a non-structural, decorative, interior small stick of wood. No thanks.

There was a reason Edward's 100 yr-old shutters used Doug Fir. Very stable. Straight-grained. Easy to machine - and you have about 1.73 Jillion of these critters to machine.

You want to take a step up - a BIG step - in $$$ and a small step in stability and longevity - get clear all heart WRC.

Me - I would get some Doug Fir.